How to Change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP Account? Complete Guide

  

Rollins Duke   
Published: November 1st, 2025 • 6 Min Read

Overview: Learn “How to change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP Account?” Used find it tricky to migrate Exchange to IMAP server. Manually creating a new IMAP migration endpoint in the Exchange Admin Center in order to transfer an Exchange mailbox to IMAP account can often be complex. 

In this guide, we will discuss how you can easily move an Exchange mailbox to IMAP using Exchange to IMAP Migration Tool and walk you through the exact steps professionals follow to migrate emails from Exchange to IMAP without any complexities like authentication failures or missing email data.

Microsoft Exchange Server is a “mail server” mostly used by organizations to communicate via email. It is highly popular as it supports various additional features like shared mailboxes, calendars, contacts & tasks. 

But there are times when users decide to change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP account, likely due to cost flexibility, or during a business acquisition & merger. 

Whatever your reason may be. Here we have covered everything you need to seamlessly convert Exchange to IMAP account in a few taps. Let’s get started.

Why Migrate from Microsoft Exchange to IMAP?

There are multiple real-life use cases to switch emails from MS Exchange Server to IMAP. Users may need to learn “how to change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP” at an admin level or at the individual user level. 

Let’s understand the primary reasons to switch emails from MS Exchange Server to IMAP account:

• Businesses often move Exchange mailboxes to IMAP when transitioning to a new email platform, workspace, or domain environment.
• Enterprises switch from on-premises Exchange Server to IMAP-based email setup to reduce maintenance.
• An individual user may convert Exchange to IMAP account to meet personal backup and archival needs.
• To improve flexibility and accessibility with remote teams, there is a need to change Microsoft Exchange (on-premise) to IMAP.

Whatever your reason may be, we have discussed a foolproof way through which both admins and standard users can transfer Exchange mailbox to IMAP account. 

Important Considerations When You Change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP

Exchange Server is a server-based collaboration platform where users can manage emails, calendars, tasks, user policies, and more. While IMAP-based has restrictions limited to emails only. Thus, before you migrate Exchange to IMAP it is important to know the following:

• You can only move Exchange mailbox to IMAP, not calendars, tasks, and other features. 
• If you are an admin changing from Microsoft Exchange to IMAP Account, ensure to create users in the IMAP account beforehand. 
• Ensure you have enough storage space in IMAP account to move Exchange mailbox to IMAP without exceeding capacity.
• Verify if the migration was successful by signing into a web bases email client to avoid data loss.

Prerequisites To Migrate Exchange To IMAP Server

There are some important access details you’ll need beforehand to move Exchange Server account data to IMAP account:

Credentials for Your Exchange Mailbox

• Domain / Username – depending on whether you are migrating as an admin or an individual user
• Password
• Server Name

IMAP Account Details

• Email Address
• Password
• Port Number
• IMAP Host

Additional Requirements

• Stable internet connection
• IMAP enabled on the destination account
• Mailbox access rights for each user account

How to Change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP? Steps

1. Launch the Exchange to IMAP conversion utility on a Windows computer/ laptop. Then, read the bulletins mentioned in the software panel.
2. Now, choose the Exchange Server option as the required source and fill the credentials, as shown in the screenshot. Then, click on the Login tab.
   
3. Here, you will find the software list folders and mailboxes from your Exchange account. So, select the required ones to continue the conversion.
   
4. It’s time to pick IMAP as the select saving option to convert Exchange emails to IMAP account.
   
5. After that, fill all the asked details such as email address, password, IMAP Port No., and Server Name.After providing all the details. It’s time to hit the Backup button, and you will find the Exchange Server to IMAP migration process started.
   

Before You Leave: – Don’t leave the software panel until the conversion process is running. Later, you will get a complete conversion message and also a log report. At last, login to your email account and check the final results. That’s all.

Key Benefits of Exchange Server to IMAP Migration Tool

Microsoft Exchange to IMAP Migration tool is one of the best solutions to Change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP. The software provides large numbers of benefits such as: –

• The Exchange to IMAP migration utility is a completely safe and easy-to-use application.
• The software has a consistent and intuitive user interface for all types (technical and non-technical) users.
• During the migration process, the software will maintain the email folder hierarchy.
• Email attributes are one of the main problems in the conversion process. The software will retain email Meta attributes during this process.
• One process can easily migrate multiple emails from Exchange user mailboxes to IMAP account with attachments.
• The software supports all versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system, including the Windows Server version.
• This is an entirely independent solution that can migrate email from Exchange to IMAP Server without any problems.
• During the migration process, there is no limit to the size of user data and the number of users.
• The software provides advanced filter settings and can convert required emails from MS Exchange to IMAP accounts with complete information.

Conclusion

In the above article, we described how to Change Microsoft Exchange to IMAP Account. The entire migration process is safe, complete, and without any trouble. Also, no third-party software and plug-ins required during the migration process. The company provides a free demo version that can migrate several emails from MS Exchange to IMAP Server. If you have any other questions, please contact our technical support team.